Collapsible crate



Jun 19, 195; D, R F 2,557,469

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE Filed Jan. 16, 1950 m1 Fig.1.

Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED STATS PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE CRATE Daniel Julian Roof, West Columbia, S. 0.

Application January 16, 1950, Serial No. 138,757

2 Claims.

My invention relates to crates.

An important object of the invention is to provide adjustable means for connecting the sides and ends, so that the body portion of the crate may be quickly and easily collapsed or distended, and the sides and ends also clamped together in the distended position prior to the application of the top or bottom to the same.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a crate embodying my invention, in the distended condition,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same,

Figure 4 is an edge elevation of the collapsed body portion of the crate and the top and bottom,

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one corner of the body portion of the crate,

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical section through the upper end of one corner of the crate, taken on line 6-6 of Figure l, and,

Figure '7 is a similar view through the lower end of the same corner, taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1.

The crate comprises sides I, which are identical.

Each side includes horizontal or longitudinal slats or bars 8, vertically spaced, as shown. The crate comprises ends 9, which are identical. Each end 9 comprises horizontal slats or bars II], which are vertically spaced, as shown. The slats 9 are arranged between the slats 8, and are alternately disposed with relation to the slats 8. The slats 8 are permanently connected with the slats I0, at the corners of the body portion of the crate, by vertical rods II. These rods II are pivotally mounted within openings I2 formed in the ends of the slats 8 and within openings I3 formed in the ends of the slats III, as shown. At the top and bottom of the body portion of the crate, there are slats 8 disposed outwardly of the slats II]. Each rod I I at its upper end projects outwardly beyond the upper slat 8, and at its lower end projects downwardly beyond the lower slat 8, forming projecting end portions I4 which are screw threaded. The screw threaded portions I4 of each rod carry nuts I4, engaging upon the outer edges of the slats 8, while the screw threaded portions I4 extend outwardly for a substantial distance beyond these nuts.

The numeral I5 designates a top and I5 a bottom, which are identical except that they are inverted with respect to each other. The top and bottom each include outer transverse end bars I6. arranged upon the outer faces of strips or boards I'I, secured to the transverse bars by nails or the like. The strips or boards I! extend longitudinally of the body portion of the crate. Each transverse end bar I6 is provided adjacent to its opposite ends with vertical openings IB, receiving the screw threaded end portions I4 of the pair 10f vertical rods I I, but having no screw threaded engagement therewith. The openings I8 are slightly larger than the screw threaded end portions I4 providing a free sliding fit, so that the transverse bar may be easily and quickly placed upon the screw threaded end portions I4 and removed therefrom. The nuts I4 are disposed inwardly of the bars I 6 and boards II.

When the top I5 and bottom I5 are separated from the body portion of the crate, such body portion may be collapsed, since the sides I and ends 9 are permanently pivotally connected at their ends. The upper nuts I4 may be slightly unscrewed, to relieve clamping engagement upon the slats of the sides and ends, and the sides and ends are then shifted to the collapsed or closed position, as shown in Figure 4. The top I5 and bottom I5 may be disposed above and below the collapsed body portion, for providing a compact arrangement for the shipment of the crate.

The body portion of the crate may be opened or distended so that the sides 1 become parallel and oppositely arranged and the ends 9 become parallel and oppositely arranged and disposed at a right angle to the sides 7. The upper nuts I4 which have been slightly unscrewed, to permit of the relative swinging movement of the sides and ends upon the rods II, are now screwed up to clamp the sides and ends together in the adjusted opened position. It is obvious that the action of the nuts I4 is to clamp the several slats of the sides and ends together, thus retaining the body portion of the crate in the proper opened condition, prior to mounting the bottom and top upon the body portion. The bottom I5 may now be applied to the body portion of the crate and the openings I8 of the bottom will receive the lower screw threaded end portions I4 of the rods. This bottom is held upon the lower screw threaded end portions I4 by flexible tie elements 2 I, which may be formed of wire. Each tie element includes a loop 22 receiving one end slat ID, and ends 23 which are looped about the adjacent transverse bar It of the bottom, and these ends 23 are twisted together as indicated at 24. Two tie eles ments 2| are provided for the bottom at the two ends 9. It is thus seen that the bottom [5 is attached to the ends 9, by means separate from the rods II, and the tie elements retain the bottom upon the rods. The crate can now be filled with vegetables or fruit and the top 15 applied in place. The openings [8 in the transverse bars l6 of the top receive the upper screw threaded portions [4 of the rods l l, and the top is retained upon the rods by flexible tie elements 25, identical with the tie elements 2|, and connecting the transverse bars l6 of the top with the adjacent upper slats 9 of the ends H1. It is thus seen that when the crate is filled, the top and bottom are secured to the end portions [4 of the rods H projecting outwardly beyond the sides I, and the top and bottom rigidly brace the body portion of the crate against collapsing. When it is .desired to remove the contents of the crate, the top [5 may be separated from the body portion of the crate by untying the ends of the tie elements 25 and sliding the transverse bars 56 off of the screw threaded portions M.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A collapsible crate, comprising sides, each side including spaced slats, ends, each end including spaced slats, the slats of the sides interfitting with the slats of the ends, rods passing through the side slats and the end slats near the ends of such slats, each rod extending at its opposite ends beyond the sides for substantial distances and having such extending end portions screw threaded, nuts carried by the screw threaded extending portions of the rods for clamping action with the slats and spaced from the outer ends of the screw threaded portions, a

top having openings near its corners receiving the upper screw threaded portions of the rod outwardly of said nuts, 2. bottom having openings near its corners receiving the lower screw threaded portions of the rods outwardly of said nuts, means separate from the rods for retaining the top in place upon the rods, and means separate from the rods for retaining the bottom in place upon the rods.

2. A collapsible crate, comprising sides, each side including spaced slats, ends, each end including spaced slats, the end slats being arranged between the side slats, the side and end slats having transverse openings near their ends, rods pivotally mounted within the transverse openings of the side and end slats for connecting the sides and ends, said rods having end portions projecting outwardly at their opposite ends beyond the sides, said end portions being screw threaded, nuts carried by the screw threaded portions of the rods and adjustable for clamping the side and end slats together and for releasing such clamping action, said nuts being spaced inwardly from the free ends of the screw threaded portions, a

- bottom provided near its corners with openings receiving the lower screw threaded end portions outwardly of said nuts, a top provided near its corners with openings receiving the upper screw threaded end portions outwardly of said nuts, flexible tie elements secured to the ends of the bottom and engaging adjacent end slats, and flexible tie elements secured to the ends of the top and engaging adjacent end slats.

DANIEL JULIAN ROOF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 224,939 Morey Feb. 24, 1880 

